R. Abba discoursed on the verse: “Turn unto me and have mercy upon me, give thy strength unto thy servant” (Ps. 86, 15). ‘Had God, then’, he said, ‘nothing more beautiful than David to turn to? It is, however, as we have learnt, that God has another David who is in command of many celestial hosts and legions: and when God desires to be gracious to the world He looks upon this David with a smiling countenance, and he in turn sheds light and grace upon the world
through his beauty, his head being a skull of gold broidered with seven ornaments of gold. And through God’s great love for him, He tells him to turn his eyes towards Him and look at Him, because they are very beautiful; and when he does so, His heart is, as it were, pierced with shafts of supernal love. And for the sake of that celestial David, beautiful, beloved and desired of God, David said: “Turn to me and be gracious unto me”.
Similarly, when Isaac said to Jacob, “Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed”, this, we are told, was because the Garden of Eden entered with Jacob. Here, too, we may ask, how could the Garden of Eden enter with him, seeing that it is of immense extent in length and breadth, with many compartments and residences?
The truth is that God has another holy Garden of which He is specially fond, and which He guards Himself and which He appoints to be continually with the righteous; and this it was that entered with Jacob.
Similarly when we are told that the whole land of Israel came and folded itself under Abram,1v. Midrash Rabbah on Genesis 13, 15. this refers to another holy supernal land which God has and which is also called “the land of Israel”. This is below the grade of Jacob and has been transmitted by God to Israel out of His love for them to abide with them and to lead and protect them, and it is called “the land of the living”.
רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח, (תהילים פ״ו:ט״ז) פְּנֵה אֵלַי וְחָנֵּנִי תְּנָה עֻזְּךָ לְעַבְדֶּךָ, פְּנֵה אֵלַי וְחָנֵּנִי, וְכִי לָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּעָלְמָא שַׁפִּירָא כְּדָוִד, דְּאִיהוּ אָמַר פְּנֵה אֵלַי וְחָנֵּנִי. אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּנֵינָן, דָּוִד אָחֳרָא אִית לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהוּא מְמָנָא עַל כַּמָה אוּכְלוּסִין עִלָאִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין. וְכַד בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְרַחֲמָא עַל עָלְמָא, אִסְתָּכַּל בְּהַאי דָּוִד, וְנָהִיר לֵיהּ אַנְפִּין, וְהוּא נָהִיר לְעָלְמִין, וְחָיֵיס עָלְמָא.
R. Abba discoursed on the verse: “Turn unto me and have mercy upon me, give thy strength unto thy servant” (Ps. 86, 15). ‘Had God, then’, he said, ‘nothing more beautiful than David to turn to? It is, however, as we have learnt, that God has another David who is in command of many celestial hosts and legions: and when God desires to be gracious to the world He looks upon this David with a smiling countenance, and he in turn sheds light and grace upon the world
וּשְׁפִּירוּ דְּהַאי דָּוִד, נָהִיר לְעָלְמִין כֻּלְּהוּ, רֵישֵׁיהּ גּוּלְגַלְתָּא דְּדַהֲבָא, אִתְרְקִימַת בְּשִׁבְעָה תַּכְשִׁיטֵי זִינִין דְּדַהֲבָא. וְהָא (תיקון קכ"ב, יתרו ע"ג) אוּקְמוּהָ. וַחֲבִיבוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, וּמִסְּגִיאוּת רְחִימוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ גַּבֵּיהּ, אָמַר לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּיֶהְדַּר עֵינוֹי לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, וְיִסְתְּכַּל בֵּיהּ. בְּגִין דְּאִינּוּן שְׁפִּירָן בְּכֹלָּא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שיר השירים ו׳:ה׳) הָסֵבִּי עֵינַיִךְ מִנֶּגְדִּי וְגוֹ'. הָסֵבִּי עֵינַיִךְ מִנֶּגְדִּי דִּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִלֵּין עַיְינִין מִסְתַּכְּלִין בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּדֵין מִתְעָרִין בְּלִבֵּיהּ קִסְטִין דִּבְלִסְטְרָאֵי, בִּרְחִימוּתָא עִלָּאָה, וּבִסְגִּיאוּת שַׁלְהוֹבִיתָא דִּרְחִימוּ עִלָּאָה לְגַבֵּיהּ, אָמַר הָסֵבִּי עֵינַיִךְ מִנֶּגְדִּי, אַסְחַר עֵינֵיךְ לִסְטַר אָחֳרָא מִנִּי, דְּאִינּוּן מוֹקְדִין לִי בְּשַׁלְהוֹבֵי רְחִימוּתָא. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּדָוִד, (שמואל א ט״ז:י״ב) וְהוּא אַדְמוֹנִי עִם יְפֵה עֵינָיִם וְטוֹב רֹאִי. וּבְגִין הַהוּא דָּוִד עִלָּאָה שַׁפִּירָא, רְחִימְנָא וְתִיאוּבְתָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַדְבְּקָא בֵּיהּ. אָמַר דָּוִד פְּנֵה אֵלַי וְחָנֵּנִי.
through his beauty, his head being a skull of gold broidered with seven ornaments of gold. And through God’s great love for him, He tells him to turn his eyes towards Him and look at Him, because they are very beautiful; and when he does so, His heart is, as it were, pierced with shafts of supernal love. And for the sake of that celestial David, beautiful, beloved and desired of God, David said: “Turn to me and be gracious unto me”.
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, (בראשית כ״ז:כ״ז) וַיֹּאמֶר רְאֵה רֵיחַ בְּנִי כְּרֵיחַ שָׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַכוֹ יְיָ'. מַשְׁמַע דְּעָאל עִמֵּיהּ עִם יַעֲקֹב גִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, דְּאִיהוּ שָׂדֶה דְּתַפּוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין. וְכִי הֵיךְ יָכִיל גִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן לְאַעֲלָא עִמֵּיהּ, דְּהָא גִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן כַּמָה רַב הוּא בְּפוּתְיָא וּבְאַרְכָּא. כַּמָה זִינִין דְּבָיְיתִין עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין, דַּרְגִּין עַל דַּרְגִּין, מָדוֹרִין עַל מָדוֹרִין אִית תַּמָּן.
Similarly, when Isaac said to Jacob, “Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed”, this, we are told, was because the Garden of Eden entered with Jacob. Here, too, we may ask, how could the Garden of Eden enter with him, seeing that it is of immense extent in length and breadth, with many compartments and residences?
אֶלָּא (שמות ר"י ע"ב) גִּנְתָּא אָחֳרָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא אִית לֵיהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהַהוּא גִּנְתָּא רְחִימוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְאִתְדְּבַק בֵּיהּ, וְלָא אִתְנְטִיר אֶלָּא לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, דְּהוּא עָיֵיל בֵּיהּ. וְדָא אַחֲסִין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא תָּדִיר עִמְּהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא. וְכָּל שֶׁכֵּן לְאִשְׁתַּכְּחָא בֵּיהּ בְּיַעֲקֹב, וְדָא זַמִּין לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַעְלָאָה עִמֵּיהּ לְסַיְּיעָא לֵיהּ.
The truth is that God has another holy Garden of which He is specially fond, and which He guards Himself and which He appoints to be continually with the righteous; and this it was that entered with Jacob.
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, (בראשית כ״ח:י״ג) אֲנִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ וִאלֹהֵי יִצְחָק הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ'. תְּנָן, מְלַמֵּד שְׁנִתְקַפְּלָה לוֹ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכִי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּאִיהִי ד' מֵאוֹת פַּרְסָה עַל ד' מֵאוֹת פַּרְסָה, הֵיךְ אִתְעַקָרַת מֵאַתְרָהּ, וְיָתְבָא תְּחוֹתוֹי. אֶלָּא אֶרֶץ אָחֳרָא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא אִית לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל אִקְרֵי. וְהִיא תְּחוֹת דַּרְגָּא דְּיַעֲקֹב דְּקָאִים עָלָהּ. וְאַחֲסִין לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגִין רְחִימוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן, לְדַיְּירָא עִמְּהוֹן, וּלְדַבְּרָא לְהוֹן, וּלְאַגָּנָא לְהוֹן מִכֹּלָא, וְאִקְרֵי אֶרֶץ חַיִּים.
Similarly when we are told that the whole land of Israel came and folded itself under Abram,1v. Midrash Rabbah on Genesis 13, 15. this refers to another holy supernal land which God has and which is also called “the land of Israel”. This is below the grade of Jacob and has been transmitted by God to Israel out of His love for them to abide with them and to lead and protect them, and it is called “the land of the living”.